Casting a prominent and recognizable actor in a movie usually ups the anticipation as well as audience turnout in theaters. And casting two or more of those actors together probably means the film is worth seeing. That’s certainly the case with director David Dobkin’s The Judge, starring Robert Downey Jr., Robert Duvall, Billy Bob Thornton, Vincent D’Onofrio, and Vera Farmiga.

Downey Jr. portrays Hank Palmer, an aggressive Chicago lawyer – which comes as no surprise since his father is Judge Joseph Palmer (Duvall) in Carlinville, Indiana. Hank has not been back home for many years, but after hearing the bad news of his mother’s passing, he feels obligated to return to Carlinville one more time. Along with the grief of losing his mother, Hank also finds out his father has been charged with a murder. The Judge doesn’t think he will need any legal help because he’s not guilty. He will soon find out that’s a big misconception.

Hank feels uncomfortable at home. He and his father have rarely gotten along, and he and his brother Glen (D’Onofrio) aren’t the kind to slap and hug each other.  But Hank seems happy to see his brother Dale (Jeremy Strong), a simple and gentle young man whose life revolves around his Super 8 camera. With little notice by his family, Dale has captured years of the family’s history, personalities of his father and brothers, and whatever may strike his fancy at the moment.

As much as Hank wants to leave and go back to his daughter in Chicago -- especially since his wife is leaving him -- he starts to get a glimpse of what this case is really about. He realizes his father will not be able to squirm out of this one without his help. The Judge will hear none of this. He’s been the town judge for 42 years and figures he has a lot of favors owed him. In fact, when it’s clear he can’t represent himself, he ignores Hank and hires in-over-his-head Dax Shepard (C. P. Kennedy) to be his counsel.

Hank has never understood why his father has never liked him. Perhaps it has to do with something Hank did in the past. Even now, Hank remarks that his dad will hug everyone, but only shake Hank’s hand. Once the trial starts Hank might as well be chomping on bricks because Dax does nothing right in representing Hank’s father. This is  one of the areas of the film were Downey shines; he squirms, fumes, throws things and makes faces at both Dax and his father. Nothing changes.

In between court sessions Hank runs into his high school sweetheart Samantha, played sexily and sweetly by Vera Farmiga. During their first meeting they get off on the wrong foot, but neither one can deny there’s still a sexual tension between them. Hank has to remind himself of why he’s here in town. That reminder comes in one very poignant scene when Hank has to help his father with one of the most embarrassing moments anyone can experience. It’s then that the hate Hank feels for his dad disappears from Downey’s face.

So they return to the courtroom, this time with a surprising new element. Dwight Dickham (Thornton) a prosecutor from Gary, Indiana, is the prosecutor in the Judge’s trial. He’s very familiar with the way Hank works -- taking on the cases of criminals he’s too eager to get set free. Dwight wants to make an example of both the Judge and Hank. The setting in the old-world courtroom seems fitting because of the juxtaposition of old ways and new ways to have a trial, and one can’t help but wonder if the icy Dwight will triumph or fail in this case.

It’s wonderful to watch Downey and Duvall together -- for the first time -- and likewise Downey and Thornton. Nick Schenk (Gran Torino) and Bill Dubuque’s screenplay, adapted from a story by Dobkin and Schenk, easily combines several difficult situations into a story of redemption, regret, and perception.  These three actors rise in the subtleness of beautiful cinematography by the exceptionally talented Janusz Kaminski (War Horse, Lincoln, Saving Private Ryan), but they can instantly become cold as ice in harsh situations.

Filled with exceptional talent, The Judge is definitely a movie most viewers will enjoy.

(Released by Warner Bros. and rated "R" for language, including some sexual references.)

Review also posted at www.reviewexpress.com.